Chapter 52
How was I supposed to handle this?
I sat in front of my computer and agonized over it for thirty minutes straight.
On the monitor, the video I’d shot at the campsite was playing.
What I was wrestling with was a serious question: should I upload this to YouTube or not?
Ever since I’d started YouTube, I’d been filming whatever I could whenever I had time outside my main job, so of course I’d filmed the camping trip from A to Z.
The problem was that camping was personal relaxation, and not exactly something closely tied to my side hustles.
But it looked so good.
The scenery was great, and especially the shots of me frying up food came out looking wonderfully polished and delicious.
Even so, I hadn’t worn the teddy bear costume.
If I wore that outdoors, people would think I was strange, and besides, I hadn’t even brought it along because I figured wearing it at a campsite would kill the whole feeling of being on a break.
So I’d framed the footage as carefully as I could, zooming in on the pot while I cooked and filming mostly my back when I was resting.
Still, because I’d been busy setting up the tent and moving around doing this and that, my face had ended up in the footage a lot.
So if I uploaded it, I’d have to blur out my face, and even that felt like it might break the concept of the channel.
But after a long struggle, I came to a fairly simple conclusion.
What exactly am I even worrying about when I don’t even have a hundred subscribers?
Just upload it.
Calling it YouTube was generous anyway; right now it was practically no different from a video cloud storage service.
I’d just blur the parts where my face showed enough to keep it from being distracting.
Click.
Upload scheduling has been completed.
I put the video on the channel.
If it causes problems later, I’ll delete it then.
It was probably better to keep my mind that simple.
“Haaa-.”
The editing was done again today, too.
I’d taken my time with a draft beer beside me, and even then, because this wasn’t craftsmanship-style labor, it felt absurdly leisurely.
Come to think of it, it feels like it’s about time for a main talent to pop up, but it still isn’t showing up at all.
Lately I’d been adding auxiliary talents one after another, but the last thing that had appeared was video editing talent.
Is it not showing up because I haven’t achieved anything big with that one?
Or do I have to unlock all the auxiliary talents before the next one appears?
Or maybe the next talent is something huge, and that’s why it’s taking this long?
All kinds of guesses sprang up, but this damned system didn’t come with a Q&A, and there was no way to check.
For now, all I could do was wait.
“Nothing beats finishing work with total focus and then having a beer.”
Even while I sat on the sofa staring blankly at the ceiling, a smile crept onto my face.
Still, it feels like I should start doing something new soon.
Once I thought about taxes and moving, it was clear I needed to work my side hustles harder.
Should I take on outside work?
Leathercraft bag-making sounded good, and woodcraft pieces weren’t bad either.
I should think it through seriously.
Just as I was in the middle of thinking about money,
Deposit: 13,852,417 won (Willow Publishing)
“Huh?”
Money had suddenly come in.
Why is this arriving already?
I’d been told that the amount should come in after deducting the forty million won advance I’d received when I signed the contract.
The current time was 8:00 p.m.
It’s a little late to call...
The person in charge at Willow Publishing had told me to call anytime, whether it was night or the weekend.
Of course, as a fellow office worker, I know that was probably half a polite lie.
As far as I knew, my contact person worked overtime like it was a meal, so she was usually still at the office at this hour.
Still, just in case, I left a text for Team Leader Yu Na-ri.
-Kang Seo-jun: Hello, Team Leader.
I have a question, so could I call you?
It isn’t urgent, so if you’ve already left work, we can talk tomorrow.
About fifteen seconds after I sent the text,
Buzz-!
“They’re fast, aren’t they. Too fast.”
I answered the call with a guilty feeling.
“Yes, hello?”
-Hello, author. You left me a message, so I’m calling you back. Is something wrong?
“First, I’m sorry for calling so late.”
-Not at all. I’m still at the office. It’s closing season right now...
“...”
The work-life balance of publishing staff was depressing to witness.
I needed to ask quickly and get it over with.
“The thing is, I just received a deposit from the publisher. It was 13.85 million won, but according to the contract, I was supposed to receive it after the advance deduction. Since it arrived already, I thought there might’ve been an error, so I’m calling.”
-Ah, I’m the one handling your case, so I know about it. It isn’t an error. It was deposited normally.
“...What?”
-The forty million won advance was fully deducted last month.
“It was all deducted already?”
-Yes. I told you the novel was doing very well, didn’t I? Novels usually see the biggest explosive sales in the first month, and that was enough to clear the full forty million won.
“Huh...”
-And to add a little more detail: normally, earnings start tapering off from the second month onward. But in your case, the completion rate is very good. Right now, daily sales are around one million won. After platform fees, the publisher’s cut, and withholding tax, that comes out to about 450,000 won a day. Since there are seven episodes a week, you’ll keep getting settlements in the neighborhood of ten million won a month. That level should hold until the novel is finished.
“Amazing...”
The word I’d been thinking to myself slipped out before I could stop it.
-Pardon? Ahaha. Yes, it is amazing, isn’t it?
Team Leader Yu laughed.
-Do you have any other questions?
“No. It’s late, so you should head home.”
-I probably won’t be able to leave until after ten, but thank you anyway. Have a good evening.
“Yes, thank you.”
The moment I hung up, the corners of my mouth lifted on their own.
“This is insane.”
I’d heard again and again that the novel was doing well, but I hadn’t expected the income to be this good.
Wait a second.
That meant...
Balance: 101,567,240 won.
“Oh...”
I’d finally broken one hundred million won.
Ever since money had gone out as a security deposit last time, the digit change had stung a little.
But faster than I expected, I’d returned to the nine-digit club.
“Just looking at it makes me feel full.”
I was pleased. Satisfied.
But at the same time, something else was bothering me.
Overall, the income is doing way too well, isn’t it?
Just looking at earnings alone, it had been a long time since it had surpassed my main job.
The novel still isn’t anywhere near finished. If this keeps producing steady income...
I needed to prepare.
I don’t think I can handle the taxes as an individual.
Last year I’d only started the side hustle in the second half of the year, and since it was also the first year I’d had freelance income on top of my main job, I could probably scrape by until this year.
But next year would be different.
If I didn’t prepare in advance for this year’s income, I’d be hit with a tax bomb, plain and simple.
I think I need to set up a business registration.
Above all, even when I’d been preparing for the perfume project last time, there had been more limits on what I could do as an individual than I’d expected.
It had worked out well because Manager Han had supported me, but without that help it could’ve gotten pretty complicated.
At this point, I should meet an expert, get some advice, and prepare properly.
After a short hesitation, I called someone.
“Oh, Kang-san. Long time no see. It’s nothing serious, but could you introduce me to a tax accountant? Yes. I’m the one who wants to do it. Just give me the contact info and I’ll...”
***
Side-Hustle Bear Co.
The company I’d set up.
“Side-Hustling Teddy Bear Company” shortened into Side-Hustle Bear Co.
It was a little embarrassing as company names went, but I’d chosen it that way to preserve my own identity and color.
Actually, I’d tried to make it a sole proprietorship first, but after consulting a tax accountant, I was told that at my current income level, a corporation would be much more helpful for tax savings.
Especially since my side hustles were spread across multiple fields, it would be easier for a corporation to branch out than for a sole business to do so, they said.
Of course, once I did that, the money would become company funds, which would restrict how I could use the assets.
But they said that as long as I paid personal taxes properly, there wouldn’t be any problem, so I decided to go with it.
What mattered most was that I could even get deductions, and sometimes benefits, for renting or buying a workshop.
My feelings are all over the place.
Now that I’d gone as far as registering a business, it felt very different from the day I first signed the workshop lease.
Exciting, but also a little heavy.
Of course, when Assistant Manager Park heard the news, he said,
“Congratulations. But your naming sense is terrible.”
“...What’s wrong with Side-Hustle Bear?”
Honestly, I’d thought of other things too, but once I tried to come up with something better, nothing really stuck.
“How about Company Employee Good at Side Jobs?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“A corporation where a company employee is good at side jobs.”
“...”
“I’ll stick with Side-Hustle Bear.”
That man really might be worse than I was.
“Anyway, congratulations again.”
He even raised a thumb as he said it.
“I want to give you a present to celebrate, but what would be good?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“No, it isn’t. Back when you first opened the workshop, I didn’t really give you anything proper, so I should at least do it now.”
He sounded completely sincere.
“Potted plants are too common, and with all the craft dust around, they’d probably die anyway, so they’d be hard to manage. Should I have business cards made?”
“For the corporation?”
“Yeah. You’re the boss now.”
“...”
That was awkward in its own way.
It was a corporation on paper, sure, but it was still a one-person company, wasn’t it?
Especially if the title on the card said something like “Representative” or “CEO,” I’d probably feel embarrassed every time I took it out.
“Then how about a signboard? Something you can hang at the company entrance.”
“Oh...”
“Why do you suddenly have a perfectly normal, good idea?”
Assistant Manager Park chuckled.
“Not bad, right? I’ll order one for you. Since it’s a celebration, I should buy a nice one and wish it well.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
There really wasn’t a friend like Assistant Manager Park.
***
“Not thankful at all.”
I take it back. There is no one like Assistant Manager Park that I need in my life.
“That damned bastard...”
I’d thought he was ordering a signboard with just something like “Side-Hustle Bear Co.” on a brown background.
“What kind of signboard is this, something you’d see at the Daeungjeon Hall of Bulguksa...?”
Against a deep blue-green background, the words Side-Hustle Bear Co. were written in a golden brushstroke style with all the dignity of a royal plaque.
“...If anyone comes by, I might die of embarrassment.”
But since it had already been installed, there was no refund.
I let out a dry laugh.
Still, the more I looked at it, the more it seemed kind of affectionate in its own way.
No matter. I’ll get used to it.
I was just about to pull out my phone to thank Assistant Manager Park when
Buzz-!
his message came in right on cue.
That guy really can’t be called a gentleman either.
-Assistant Manager Park: (video link)
-Assistant Manager Park: Hey lol this is huge lol isn’t this you?
“...”
The link he sent led to YouTube.
-Assistant Manager Park: This is obviously your workshop lol
-Assistant Manager Park: You’re even wearing the bear mask.
-Assistant Manager Park: Anyone can tell it’s you lol
-Assistant Manager Park: hahaha this is hilarious
I felt a chill run down my back.
With a bad feeling in my stomach, I clicked the video.
“...”
It was a very familiar title.
A three-minute video I’d slapped a title on without much thought.
The one I’d uploaded when people in the comments were suspecting that destroying the solid wood was a lie.
-Kang Seo-jun: You found my channel and watched it?
-Assistant Manager Park: No, it showed up in the algorithm?
Wait.
Then this wasn’t a friend-powered boost.
“H-How many views does it have...?”
“...Holy crap.”
The algorithm had chosen me.
Even the comments were no joke.
Wow, it was real lol. Subscribed lol.
Crazy lol.
That’s so satisfying.
You really broke it?
Think about the natural world, please T_T
Tree destruction mad movie lol
Bear massacre video lol
And the most ridiculous one of all was,
“...I’m not Pooh!”